Lack of Blogging
10 09 2007
Apologies folks for the complete silence on this blog the last couple of weeks.
I read somewhere that it is impossible to blog, read other blogs, and have a job and a life as well. Well the last couple of weeks I have been concentrating on job and life, and blogging and blog reading has fallen completely by the wayside.
On holiday, my wife and I talked about some changes that we want to see in our lives. We don’t have any solutions yet, but do want to spend less time working and doing jobs. So I have been trying to work a little less late, and consequently blogging has gone out of the window.
We have had quite a busy family time too over the last month, with visits from both sets of parents, and in the last two weeks our 22 month son decided to emulate his 3 1/2 year old brother and climb out of the bath, landing on the tiled floor face first, knocking half a tooth out in the process. So a few visits to dentists later, he had the rest of the tooth removed last Friday.
I want to keep blogging, but do need to do less too, so not sure how that is going to work. I have a ridiculous number of people’s blogs I read, so that needs to get culled (I haven’t opened bloglines for over 10 days, so I hate to think how many blog posts there could be waiting for me there!). I think I will concentrate on reading blogs from people I know, or who comment on my blog. But does anyone else who blogs feel guilty for not reading other people’s blogs?
I also really want to spend more time praying! So nothing changes there then..
What, you mean you are going to ‘get a life’? LOL
I would be surprising wouldn’t it AJ?!?!?
Well that’s something to pray about
I totally understand Rupert, I think there is only so much time to blog/read blogs so i’ve been trying to cut back too. I’ve adopted your stragegy of reading/commenting on a few blogs more from the relational/shared learining aspect and skimming lots with the occassional comment…
Thanks Paul - i think i had lost sight of why i was blogging in the first place … i love the interaction and am keen to see that continue …
I think one of the primary reasons for blogging was our church community, but i think i have got sucked too much in the vast blogging world. Some of that has been good, and the connections i have made with you and duncan for example has been great … but i think i need to focus a bit more…
Here’s hoping!
Rupert, I feel guilty for not just not reading, but even when I do read, being a “lurker” and not commenting! If you work out how to spend more time not working, let me know lol, I’m right there with you.
Thanks Duncan for the comment. I wonder if you just begin to work out a “life balance” and it changes? I have found the stage our children are at, for example, fun but demanding, so it is a different equation for a year ago …
Answers on a postcard anyone?
Ah, the post-modern condition of being over-blogged
I’m going the opposite direction of trying to fit a blog into my life. Not publicising it yet until there’s some reasonable material up on it though.
I have had a quick look at your blog matthew … glad you are doing it…
A bit of detective work to find it Mr Ward
. Some thoughts on the recent Africa trip will be posted in the next few days.
Hi Rupert,
I know exactly the feeling. I haven’t had time to blog for over two months now (although I was on holiday for one month). Plus the wife and I have been ultra busy recently with guests coming and going, weddings and what-not. My current ambition is to work a 40 hour 4 day week, with perhaps a further 4 hours of non-billable work done at home….we shall see…
good plan alastair … i think working 4 days a week would be a great plan (says someone who works 6!).
Oh dear, it took a long time for me to work out the face in the photo.
There’s also something in this issue about face time, versus email and blog stuff. Email only works for so long to maintain relationships, as I know to my cost over the last seven years, and then it needs to be boosted by real time together. There is a balance to be struck between a discussion on a blog and those “real” contacts in meetings, social time or conferences.
I’m looking forward to more real time in Edinburgh in 2008!
My boys liked the egg face!
I think you are so right about balance. I do love blogging, but also longing for more conversation and face2face dialogue in church…
Hi Rupert - I see you’ve started a blog thread on wanting to spend less time blogging…
Getting to this a bit late - but I’d encourage you to blog as part of work if possible. It enables some of us in community to engage with you and share ideas with others much quicker than we might on a Sunday morning (he types as he doesn’t go to church this morning in order to work!)
I really value your musings on contemporary Christianity - deconstructing and re-assembling your beliefs and your faith journey in general. I can certainly see how it could take over, but it’s a real encouragement that you’re doing this. Perhaps use it when there’s a significant musing that you need to work through.
It helps us as a questioning community to have one of our leaders doing the same and coming through it richer and closer to God rather than poorer. Stuff the other blogs and share your valuable journey with us!
I second Dan’s suggestion! This is the 21st Century, and blogging should be a paid part of your work - In five years time (or sooner?) a church without a significant online presence will probably be looked at like churches that only use organs to worship today
The inability to connect with what is being preached and to have it further discussed is a step backwards IMHO — if there is no proper medium or space to respond to preaching, it becomes a bit pointless. The preaches I really remember are the ones I could engage with and respond to.
Just my two pence